Section 11

Sense-and-thought are not confined to man, but are common to the Kosmos as well, the sense-and- thought of the Kosmos is one peculiar to the Kos- mos, we do not find the like of it anywhere else. It is this sense-and-thought of the Kosmos that directs all the Kosmic operations. It is not so manifold as in the case of man, seeing that its func- tions are not so numerous, it is a simpler sense-and- thought and at the same time, a more powerful one, and one that operates on a more efficient plan. This sense-and-thought of the Kosmos is the prin- ciple that causes Kosmos to evolve in its own way, and by reason of its own power, and quite inde- pendent of any direction whatsoever. For this cause, Kosmos is alive, surcharged with its own sense, made intelligent by reason of its own thought, and animated by its own life.
6. The single sense-and-thought of Cos- mos is to make all things, and make them back into itself again, as Organ of the Will of God, so organized that it, receiving all the seeds into itself from God, and keeping them within itself, may make all manifest, and [then] dissolving them, make them all new again ; and thus, like a Good Gardener
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of Life, things that have been dissolved, it taketh to itself, and giveth them renewal once again.
There is no thing to which it gives not life ; but taking all unto itself it makes them live, and is at the same time the Place of Life and its Creator.
Kosmos is Organ of the Will of God. It is the vast space and substance into which the Will of God, that is, the Dynamic Energy of the Ultimate Deity enters, and moves therein. All the opera- tions of the Will of God are through the medium of this Kosmic Substance, which therefore becomes the Substantial Organ through which the Divine Will Force functions. This Kosmos is so organ- ized that all the seeds from God, that is all the Divine Ideas and the Monads engendered by them in the Matrix of Ku, are driven forth into Kosmos and are there deposited. They are all received into Kosmos, after the manner of seeds being de- posited in the earth in planting. They are retained there by Kosmos. The single sense-and-thought of Kosmos is to receive these seeds from God, which it does by reason of its negative contact with God. These seeds of God, when deposited in .Kosmos, cause it to conceive after their likeness, so that for every seed coming from. God, there is something corresponding to it, conceived in Kosmos. In this way it is the sense-and-thought of Kosmos to make all things. It also makes all things back into itself again, for nothing made by Kosmos is of perma- ment form, seeing that all its making is with refer- ence to itself. Ai the same time the tendency engendered by the seed of God is permanent, and hence this process is repeated unto infinity, and this is the true basis of the Law of Karma. It
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makes all things manifest, and then, when they have become completely manifested, they are dis- solved into Kosmos once more, and are again made new again. Thus we have the perpetual reincar- nation of every thing that is ever manifested in Kosmos. It is through the endless sequence of manifestations in form, and dissolutions of form that the life contained in the form may manifest yet again, that the things made in Kosmos are going through an endless sequence of improve- ment. Thus as the Gardener of Life, all things that have been dissolved, are taken to Kosmos and in the course of time made new again. Kosmos is then, at once the Garden and the Gardener of Life in all of its manifold forms. This direction of this Process is the true nature of Kosmic Sense and Kosmic Thought working as one process. Kosmic Sense draws all the seeds of God into itself, and likewise, draws jnto itself all things manifested, dissolving them into its own substance. Kosmic Thought directs the manifestation of all the seeds of God, and likewise the renewal again of all things dissolved. This is the single sense-and- thought of Kosmos.
There is no thing to which it gives not life, but taking all unto itself it makes them live, and is at the same time the Place of Life and its Creator.
All living things derive their life from Kosmos, there is no life from any other source. It takes every thing unto itself, and taking them unto itself, it gives them life and makes them live. Death merely means that a thing which has exhausted its life force, is indrawn into Kosmos that it may be given another lease of life. It is at the same time the Place of Life and its Creator. It is the Place of Life because it is the space in which all life
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is made manifest^ and in which all things are given their life. All the seeds of life are deposited in this space, and there are given the forms through which they may manifest their life. AH forms are indrawn into it, that they may again be made to live. It is likewise the Creator of Life, because it is through the operation of Kosmos under the inspiration of the power of Kosmic Thought that Life is difYerentiated into its diverse aspects and manifestations. All life, that is all individual fife is Created in Kosmos, and by Kosmos, and it is there that all life is made manifest. It is there- fore the source and the manifestation of Life. Kosmos is able to do this, because all seeds that are drawn into it, are made through it to conceive form, and all forms are being indrawn into it and there renewed. This is through the dual operation of the processes of creation and dissolution, and these two are made to act as one harmonious oper- ation. But remember this, its creation is through conception. When you have mastered this secret, that is, the secret of Kosmos, you have mastered the secret of the Great Work. The mystery is that of conception working in conjunction with disso- lution, joined with the ability to draw within all that is to be either conceived or dissolved. Kosmos is the great Alchemist, and when any one has mastered her secret he has himself mastered the secret of transmutation. When this has been mastered, the practical work of Alchemy is mere woman's work and boy's play.
LESSON IX
The Function of the Cosmos
7. Now bodies matter [-made] are in diversity. Some are of the earth, of water some, some are of air, and some of fire.
But they are all composed, some are more [composite], and some are simpler. The heavier ones are more [composed], the lighter less so.
It is the speed of Cosmos' Course that works the manifoldness of the kinds of births. For being a most swift Breath, it doth bestow their qualities on bodies to- gether with the One Pleroma — that of Life.
Now bodies matter [-made] are in divers- ity. Some are of the earth, of water some, some are of air, and some of fire.
All bodies made from matter may be divided into four classes. They are either formed of earth, of water, of air, or of fire. Thus we have the four groups of bodies, earthy, watery, airy, and fiery bodies. This may be taken as being true in three different senses. In the first place we have the literal application of the classification. At the same time there is the sense in which these terms are used with reference to the four elemental gases, or, rather to the four ethers, that stand back of those gases and manifest through them. Then there is the symbolic sense, in which the four elements are used with reference to their corresponding principles in nature. However, in the main, fire stands for the Hot Principle, air for the Dry Prin-
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ciple, Water for the Moist Nature, and earth for the Cold Nature, no matter in what Principle of nature they may be found. All matter manifests under those four classifications, and all bodies made from matter are to be grouped accordingly, as being fiery, or hot, airy, or dry, watery, or moist, and earthy, or cold.
But they are all composed ; some are more [composite], and some are simpler. The heavier ones are more [composed], the lighter less so.
However, w^e must not make the mistake of assuming that there are simple bodies, that is, bodies formed of a single element. All bodies are composed of two or more elements. Whichever element is in the major position in the degree of composition will determine the element to which the body belongs. There are in the composition of these bodies all possible degrees of composition, from the most composite to the simplest. The weight of a body depends upon the degree of its composition, the more it is composed of the dif- ferent elements, the heavier it becomes, while the greater the degree of preponderance of a single element in its composition, the lighter it will be. This is due to the fact that as the elements are brought into a closer degree of equilibrium in its composition, there mutual attraction is increased, so that the degree of chemical affinity is relatively increased, and in this way is there an increase in the attraction which the earth has upon such a body. Thus it is that the weight of all bodies is increased in proportion to the degree of their com- position. It takes the union of the elements to form any material body, no matter how small. Bodies are formed by reason of the combination of the four elements. Yet the preponderating ele-
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ment determines the nature of the body, that is the element which gives to it its nature. Thus we are able to see how all bodies are formed. The elements of chemistry are all composed of these four ele- ments of Alchemy and derive their nature from the proportion in which the four elements unite in their composition. The Molecule is in reality a material body composed of the four elements in diverse proportions, and the same is true of the Atoms of Chemistry. Each one, which is in the nature of the unit of the particular element under consideration, is a material body composed of the four elements. The proportion in which these ele- ments are united in its composition, determines the chemical element to which it will belong. We do not here refer to the atoms of the four elementaries, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Carbon, but to the eighty-six elements of chemistry. Now, when we bear in mind that all the elements of chemistry are composed of atoms, each of which is composed of the atoms of the four elements of Alchemy, united in a definite proportion, and this in accord- ance with a perfect mathematical scale, we see the key to the transmutation of these elements the one into the other. All that is necessary is to break up this composition, restoring the chemical element, back into the four elements of Alchemy, and break- ing up this order of composition, in such a manner as to change the mathematical proportion of these four elements, until it becomes identical with that of the element to which you wish to change it. Then when you have arranged the proportion exactly right, compose your chemical atom in this way and you have the chemical element which you desire. Unite these atoms into molecules, and you have the physical element which you desire. That is the entire Science and Art of Practical Alchemy. There is nothing to prevent any competent Elec- tro-chemist who has an understanding of the tech-
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nical side of Analytical Chemistry from trans- muting one element into another. We have indicated every problem that is at all involved in the undertaking.
It is the speed of Cosmos' Course that works the manifoldness of the kinds of births. For being a most swift Breath, it doth bestow their qualities on bodies together with the One Pleroma — that of Life.
The Course of Kosmos is in the nature of a most swift Breath, It is a force following an inbreath- ing and an outbreathing movement; that is, we have the alteration of a Centripetal and a Centri- fugal force, and this in perpetuity of action. This movement, not only characterizes, and gives its nature to the one Life, as a simple principle, but it also causes an infinite differentiation in the rapidity of movement in the diverse portion of the four elements. In this way are the diverse qual- ities engendered. Thus are bodies organized in which are being manifested all of these diverse qualities. In this way are diverse bodies born, in which all the diverse qualities engendered by the course of Kosmic movement, may become incar- nate. The One Life which is the Pleroma of all the manifestations of Kosmos, being engendered and made what it is by the movements of the Kos- mic Breath, manifests itself through the medium of all the diverse bodies engendered by the swift- ness of the Kosmic Breath. In this way, are all bodies made to live, by reason of the Life mani- festing through them. Thus in Kosmic motion have we the origin of all modes as well as of Life, and livingness.
8. God, then, is Sire of Cosmos ; Cosmos, of [all] in Cosmos. And Cosmos is God's
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Son ; but things in Cosmos are by Cosmos.
And properly hath it been called Cosmos [Order] ; for that it orders all with their diversity of birth, with its not leaving aught without its life, with its unweariedness of activity, the speed of its necessity, the com- position of its elements, and order of its ceatures.
The same, then, of necessity and propriety should have the name of Order.
The sense-and-thought, then, of all lives doth come into them from without, in- breathed by what contains [them all] ; whereas Cosmos receives them once for all together with its coming into being, and keeps them as a gift from God.
God, then, is Sire of Cosmos ; Cosmos, of [all] in Cosmos. And Cosmos is God's Son ; but things in Cosmos are by Cosmos.
God is the Sire and source of Kosmos, while all the things in Cosmos are the products of Kosmos. It would therefore be wrong to say that God is the direct creator of anything else save Kosmos. Kosmos is the manifestation of God, while all things in Kosmos are engendered by reason of the life of Kosmos, and hence their being is derived from Kosmos, and they continue to be as a result of the action of Kosmos. They are not of divine origin then, but of kosmic origin. This distinction must at all times be borne in mind, otherwise our thinking w^ill become confused. Kosmos is the womb, projected forth from God, into which all the kosmic seed are deposited and in this way is the kosmic womb fecundated and, as a result it
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gives birth to all the things in Kosmos. Kosmos is, therefore, in the nature of a self-fecundating womb, which of its own self, fecundates its own self, and out of itself gives birth to all things. It is in the highest sense the Vase of Art, and the fecund womb of existence.
And properly hath it been called Cosmos [Order] ; for that it orders all with their diversity of birth, with its not leaving aught without its life, with the unweariedness of its activity, the speed of its necessity, the composition of its elements, and order of its creatures.
Kosmos is in the nature of a vast expanse of energy and substance, every part of its space being equally occupied by both energy and substance. To be a little more explicit we might say that it is a vast space, completely filled with substance, and this substance being completely permeated by dynamic energy. The unweariedness of this activity keeps every particle of this kosmic sub- stance in a state of perpetual motion, thus tending to engender form. This activity engenders a tre- mendous rate of speed, which, owing to its intense rapidity, manifests a state of necessity, which governs all the other manifestations of Kosmos. All its actions must conform to this necessity. This operation of its necessity results in the composition of all the kosmic elements. A composition, the direct result of the course of kosmic necessity. This course of kosmic necessity, acting upon the kosmic elements, organizes out of them, the diverse forms, and in this way does it order forth the diversity of births of all things in Kosmos. It also infuses the proper quality of life in each thing born, and orders all of its creatures in the true course of
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evolution through which they are destined to pass in the manifestation of their life. For these reasons is this realm of action, formation, vitalization, composition, necessity, and ordering, termed Kos- mos, or Order, for it is the ordering sphere of all things, the-that-which gives order in all things, and having no other source of Order apart from itself.
The same, then, of necessity and of pro- priety should have the name of Order.
Because it is the action of Kosmos that orders forth all things, and assigns to them, the order in which they are made to manifest, it is both neces- sary and proper that we should give it the name of Order, that which is the cause of the order in which every thing manifests, there being no ele- ment of ordering which is not in it, must of necessity be the true foundation of Order, and hence is properly called Order. In other words, it is the principle of Order, and hence is termed Order in the sense of its being the essence of Order, or Order as a Universal Principle.